Musical Offerings ⦁ 2026 ⦁ Volume 17 ⦁ Number 1 23 The mazur was commonly danced by the nobility, and it was “probably adopted in 1596 during the reign of Sigismund III.”23 However, it was also a favorite as a village dance as well.24 The moves of the village mazur were improvised in the moment by the dancers rather than being planned beforehand.25 Example 1: Basic rhythmic pattern of a mazur. The music for the dance had a basic rhythmic figure of two sixteenth notes and two eighth notes in a 3/8 meter, or a figure of two eighth notes and two quarter notes in a 3/4 meter (see Example 1). This rhythm would return throughout the dance, but it could be varied with other rhythmic figures.26 The structure of a mazur comes from putting together phrases of two or four measures, although three-measure or even one-measure phrases can be used as well.27 Chopin used the mazur in his own pieces, such as in his Mazurka in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 30, no. 4. In section C of this mazurka there is a shift to a faster tempo and a change to the major mode. Although the accents generally fall on the first beats, by measures 74 and 76, they fall on the second beat, perhaps indicating a mazur or perhaps a waltz that eventually transforms into a mazur.28 The kujawiak is another subcategory of the mazurka. This was a couples’ dance from the Kujawy region, usually led by a married peasant. 29 23 Bakst, “Polish National Influences,” 55. 24 Bakst, “Polish National Influences,” 55. 25 Bakst, “Polish National Influences,” 55. 26 Bakst, “Polish National Influences,” 56–57. 27 Bakst, “Polish National Influences,” 57. 28 Klein, “Chopin Dreams,” 241. 29 Bakst, “Polish National Influences,” 56.
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